


Taking Down the Family

by lordkenyon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drama, F/F, F/M, M/M, Thriller
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-19 03:09:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15500997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordkenyon/pseuds/lordkenyon
Summary: After Cressida's life is torn apart, she decides to turn against her family and the crime syndicate they run with the help of three aurors: James Potter (who she has a complicated past with naturally), Scorpius Malfoy (a second cousin who has no love for the Hadrian Crime Syndicate), and Albus Potter (who's honestly just there because he doesn't want to miss out on all the fun).





	1. Taking Down the Family

“So let me get this straight,” said the man in front of me.  “You are going to testify against the Hadrian Crime Syndicate.”

 

“Yes,” I said, gritting my teeth and trying to remain patient.  “Specifically Brutus Hadrian.”

 

Who happened to be my father and the head of the syndicate.  We’re a very tight family as you can see.

 

“And who are you?” he asked.  

 

I faltered briefly.  “I can’t tell you that.”

 

The receptionist looked exasperated.  “I don’t think you understand how the legal system works.  You can’t testify and remain anonymous. The courts will throw out any evidence you give us,” he said, before pausing to collect his thoughts.  “The Department of Magical Law Enforcement have a policy of not taking random people of the street willing to testify. You could be some rejected girl or hooker.”

 

“Do I look like a hooker to you?”  I asked haughtily.

 

The receptionist looked me up and down.  I was wearing very sensible clothes, specifically a jacket buttoned all the way up and jeans.  Maybe the jeans were a little too tight, but not hooker tight. My dark, brown hair was put up in a messy bun.  I hadn’t enough time to fix it before I’d left my flat.

 

“You don’t,” he admitted.  “But --”

 

I cut him off.  “If I was a male offering to testify, you’d have already whisked me away back to meet with a team from the Wizengamot.  I resent your implications and rudeness.” I got up to leave. “I can see my testimony is not wanted. I will see myself out.”

 

“Sit back down,” the receptionist said irritably.  “This is common procedure. We have to confirm your identity.  When someone doesn’t tell us who they are, we assume that they have no evidence to offer.  Especially against the Hadrian Crime Syndicate. I will ask this one last time. Who are you?”

 

“I can’t tell _you_ ,” I said, my eyes flashing.

 

“I think we’re…” he trailed off, before gathering my meaning finally.

 

He hesitated.  “Are you a high ranking member of the Hadrian Crime Syndicate?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“If I find the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, will you talk to her?” he asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

It was about time.  I wasn’t being that subtle.  

 

The receptionist jumped up and ran back behind his desk into the labyrinth of cubicles and hallways.  I waited idly, examining my nails. My left pinky’s nail polish was chipping. I would have to fix that when I got back.

 

He finally came back, following a woman with frizzy brown hair.  I immediately recognized her as Hermione Granger, head of the department and former Minister for Magic.  She sat down at the receptionist’s desk and glanced at him. “You are dismissed, Gordon.”

 

Granger turned her full attention on me.  “You know who I am.”

 

It wasn’t a question, but a statement.  She continued. “So you know how busy I am and if I find out that this is just a waste of my time, so help me god, I will arrest you for obstruction of justice and --”

 

“I’m Cressida Hadrian,” I blurted out.  There was something about Granger that made me trust her.  

 

She raised an eyebrow and pulled out her wand.  I panicked for a second, before realizing that she was casting a summoning charm.  A file came flying out of the labyrinth behind her and landed open in front of her, without a single page coming free.

 

That was very impressive.  I could tell that she was a very powerful witch.  In the meantime, Granger was examining the file closely.  She looked up at me and then back down.

 

“We’re going to hold you for an hour,” Granger said finally,  “to make sure you’re not using Polyjuice. Then we’ll talk.”

 

She stood and put her hand on my arm.  “Follow me.”

 

Granger guided me through the catacombs, occasionally waving her wand and shooting silvery wisps.  Finally, she stopped and gestured for me to enter a small conference room. “I’ll stay with you until one of the Aurors gets here.”

 

“You’re assigning the Aurors to this case?” I asked incredulously.  My family was bad but not Dark Arts bad.

 

“We don’t know a lot about your family,” admitted Granger.   “Rather overkill than underkill.”

 

I nodded.  To be honest, I couldn’t be sure that no one in my family had dabbled in the Dark Arts.  If anyone did it would be my mother’s brother, Caliban. That man was as evil as he was ugly.  He’s lucky he has money or else Aunt Deirdre would never have looked at him twice. But I digress.

 

Granger nodded at one of the chairs facing away from the door and I sat down, making myself comfortable.  She poured a glass of water from a jug she had conjured after closing the door and handed it to me. “Thirsty?”

 

I took it gratefully, nodding my head in gratitude.  I guzzled it back which was a complete disregard for manners.  Mother would kill me.

 

There was a knock at the door and Granger turned to open it.  I ignored the temptation to turn around and look to see who it was.  I did, however, listen to the muted conversation behind me.

 

“Not her,” a man’s voice said behind me.  Hmmm, his voice sounded familiar to me. Must’ve been someone from my Hogwarts days.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Granger snapped.  “Your father specifically assigned you to this so unless you want to go tell him that you’re shirking your responsibilities…”

 

The man sighed.  “Aunt Hermione…”

 

So he was a nephew of Granger.  Not that that helped at all. There’s so many Weasleys, it’s hard to keep track of them.  But she had said that his father assigned him to me which means his father is a high ranking member of the Aurors.  So his father is either Ron Weasley of Harry Potter. Can’t be Ron Weasley because no family is that messed up. So he’s Potter’s son which means... Oh God… You’ve got to be shitting me.  

 

“Ms. Hadrian?” said Granger.  “I believe you know my nephew James Potter?  He’ll be the Auror assigned to you. You’ll be working very closely together.”

 

I put on a fake smile and stood up to face them.  Was it too late to change my mind about this whole thing?  Shit. Shit. Shit.

 

“Hello Potter.”


	2. Christmas at Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback to Cressida's seventh year when she first talks to James Potter

It was the night before Christmas Break our seventh year when I talked to James Potter for the first time.  Obviously I knew he was, but our paths had never really crossed. Inter-house unity had increased for a bit after the war, but things had really gone down the shitter after the scandal that had rocked Hogwarts back in 2017 when I was only a third year.  Ravenclaws and Slytherins had always generally gotten along pretty well before that, but after the scandal, things were bad for a while. 

 

By seventh year, relations had thawed some between our two houses, but the politics of Hogwarts had completely changed.  Seemingly out of nowhere, Slytherins and Gryffindors had formed an alliance. I think it probably had to do with Potter’s young brother being sorted into Slytherin where he started fucking a Malfoy.  Or maybe the Malfoy was fucking the Potter. I don’t want to make judgements. But, those kind of things just change the landscape, you know? The whole love affair coupled with the scandal really saw Ravenclaw’s name go through the mud. 

 

Not that I cared too much.  Sure, I was a Ravenclaw, but I wasn’t the poster child for the house.  I wasn’t one of those nuts at every Quidditch match screaming their heads off or bragging about the exploits of Rowena Ravenclaw.  I kept my head down and dealt with shit. That’s how I had been raised after all. Hadrians stay out of trouble and let other people fuck up.  It had kept the family out of Azkaban for so many generations, so I figured it should probably work for me too. 

 

The Friday before Christmas Break though I was drunk enough to be be jumping on tables, singing “The Heart Will Go On” and quoting Luna Lovegood and Nobby Leach, two of the most famous Ravenclaws.  I usually don’t like getting drunk, it puts your guard down and you can let slip almost anything. 

 

Which is why starting a conversation with James Potter was the worst idea you could imagine.  See, when your family runs one of the biggest crime syndicates in Europe it is generally a good idea to not talk to a guy whose father is the Head of the Auror Office, whose mum is a well respected reporter, and whose aunt is the bleeding Minister for Magic.  To be fair though, it wasn’t exactly a secret what my family did – it was just that no one had any proof. Remember, keep your head down and let other people fuck up. 

 

But, it probably wasn’t the best of ideas to start talking to Potter when he came up to me at the bar.  

 

“So, Hadrian, come here often?” a voice behind me asked. 

 

I was leaning against the counter with my arm propping up my face.  I was, I admit, sticking my boobs out in an attempt to look sexy. There was a hot redhead over standing a couple of meters away and I was trying to make eye contact. At the sound of the male voice though, I lifted my body up and turned to face my new suitor.

 

“Does that ever work?” I asked snidely before I noticed who was asking me the question.

 

I realized that Potter also noticed who I was when we made eye contact and he muttered “fuck” under his breath.  

 

We stood there in awkward silence for a few seconds, not quite sure what the protocol was in the situation.  The rest of the party continued around us, thumping bass music and drunk white girls getting much too excited about muggle songs.  

 

After a few beats, I shrugged and decided to let the alcohol guide me.  I rarely indulged my id, and I felt that now was as good of a time as any.

 

“Only on Weird Friday,” I said, smirking. 

 

Potter relaxed slightly.  “As good of a time as any, I guess.”

 

Still smirking, I took a swig of my butterbeer as he made some motion to the poor Hufflepuff who was tending the bar.  Puffs always ended up tending up the bar and remaining sober throughout the night because they were such good moms. 

 

“Was that you trying to get the attention of that Puff?”

 

“Clearly,” he replied, not quite sure where the conversation was going.

 

“You have to be more aggressive than that,” I said decidedly.  “It’s a party and it’s Weird Friday. There’s only one way to get the attention of whoever is serving drinks.”

 

I turned back to the bar, keeping an eye on Potter, and touched the Puff slightly who’s walking by behind the counter.  He turned to me, about to snap, but then he noticed my boobs that are are barely contained in my tight shirt.

 

He stuttered for a second as I smiled at him.  I gave him that second and I said “Can I have another one?” as I shook my empty mug of butterbeer.

 

He nodded hurriedly and rushed away.  I turned triumphantly to Potter who’s scowling at me.

 

“You used an enlarging charm.”

 

I shrugged.  “I want my butterbeer.”

 

He laughed briefly before taking a drink of his cocktail.  He tipped it back, finishing off the last bits, but I felt his eyes on me.  

 

The Puff returned with my butterbeer and slid it to me.  I winked at him and turned away from the bar, taking in the sight of the party.  I sensed rather than saw Potter do the same. 

 

“So what are you doing over Break?” he asked. 

 

I raised my eyebrow a bit.  We’re doing small talk now? 

 

He saw that I looked slightly taken aback, but didn’t seem to care.  So, he answered his own question. “It’s a lot of family time for us.  Spend Christmas morning with my parents and siblings before going to my grandparents’ house for dinner.”

 

For some reason, I replied, “Pretty much the same.  It’s the only time really my parents’ families get together.”

 

He looked interested.  Shit. I forgot that my mum’s side of of the family was involved with the family business too. 

 

“I mean, not that it’s anything special.  Just your normal dinner. A roast prepared by the house-elves.  Pudding. Boring stories by all the oldies. It’s good craic. Can’t go wrong ”

 

Fuck. I was babbling.  I paused from my rant and looked accusingly down at my drink. 

 

To my surprise though, Potter interrupted me.  “I don’t care.”

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

“I’m sick of it.”

 

This conversation kept getting more and more unexpected. 

 

“I’m sick of being a Potter.  I don’t care what your family does.”

 

That really shut me up. 

 

He kept going.  “I don’t care that Aunt Hermione is Minister for Magic.  I just want to be a normal teenager who talks to girls at bars and who doesn’t have to worry if the girl he’s trying to hook up with is going to kidnap him to use as ransom.”

 

I laughed at that and he glared at me.  I sobered up, realizing he wasn’t kidding.  That was actually good to know that I had the reputation.  I pushed the thought away and filed it away for later. 

 

I opened my mouth to speak, but then thought better of it.  This seemed like something that he should deal with by himself.  It really was not my wheelhouse. I let him keep speaking. 

 

He continued ranting.  I got bored of listening to him eventually and zoned out for a few moments.  Still making it seem like I was paying attention to him, I looked around the party.  It was about that time in the night when everyone was either breaking up into couples or leaving.  If I didn’t hurry up and end this conversation soon, we’d end up surrounded by drunk and horny teenagers and I did not want that.  

 

But, then I saw Addison across the room, who was dancing with some girl and engaged in an obnoxious snogging session.  Furious, I took Potter’s arm aggressively and put my other hand behind his neck. Before I knew what I was doing, I pulled his head down to mine and started making out with him obnoxiously.  

 

I would regret it tomorrow, but if it had the chance of making Addison jealous, it was worth it.


	3. The Tale of Delilah Makenna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cressida finally explains why she came to the Ministry and why she is so willing to betray her family.

Thankfully the hour was nearly up.  Potter was starting to get on my nerves.  He was drumming his fingers on the grimy table as he surveyed me.  

 

I cleared my throat and took a sip of the water that Granger had conjured.  I put the glass down gently and looked back at Potter. I hadn’t talked to him since that disastrous night seventh year and hadn’t seen him since graduation.  He pretty much looked the same to me. His face was a bit thinner and he had some stubble.

 

“Can I help you?” Potter grumbled.  It was the first time he had spoken.  

 

I started.  I guess I had been staring at him for a while. 

 

Shrugging, I replied, “It’s been a while, Potter.”

 

“I wonder why,” he said sarcastically, shooting me a glare. 

 

That was pretty much fair.  After we hooked up, I had left before he woke up and never tried to talk to him again afterwards.  But…

 

“You never tried to talk to me either,” I pointed out.

 

“Clearly, I’m not your type so I didn’t bother,” he said.  

 

Another fair point actually.

 

He continued.  “How is dear Addison anyways? We haven’t run into each other since Hogwarts.”

 

At the mention of Addison’s name, my face fell a bit before I caught myself.  I had nearly forgotten why I had come to the Ministry and was having this conversation with Potter.  I wasn’t going to tell Potter of all people. I would tell Granger, not some bloke I had hooked up with four years ago.  

 

Either because he had a sensitive side or because he was a well trained auror, Potter had clearly noticed my change in mood.  To my surprise, however, he said nothing, but his face softened slightly. 

 

Potter changed the topic as he glanced down at his watch.  “Just a couple more minutes until the hour is up.”

 

“It’s been more than an hour,” I contradicted, rolling my eyes.  “I was talking to that incompetent receptionist for ten minutes.”

 

Before Potter could come up with what I’m sure would have been a clever response, the door to the room opened.  In came Granger, followed by a couple of other people. They filed in and sat down at the table silently. 

 

Two of them I recognized immediately.  The one man was instantly recognizable.  He had longish, messy black hair and green eyes.  It was clearly Albus, brother of the lovely James Potter.  That was annoying. I wouldn’t be able to refer to James as Potter in my head anymore.  

 

The other man that I recognized surprised me.  It was my second cousin, Scorpius Malfoy. We hadn’t spoken in many years, but you always recognize family.  Plus, with that platinum blonde hair and haughty expression, he could have only been a Malfoy. Scorpius had always taken after the Malfoy side of the family, not the Greengrass side that we shared.  I didn’t know he was an auror though. 

 

He gave me a little smile as Granger looked through her notes.  I shot him a look and he shrugged. Well that was helpful.

 

Granger looked at her watch and then at me.  “It’s been more than an hour. You are clearly Cressida Hadrian.”

 

One of the other men at the table spoke up.  “Metamorphmagus?”

 

Granger nodded and made a motion to Albus Potter.  He turned to me and asked, “Do I have your permission to cast a charm on you?”

 

I nodded, giving my consent.  I had nothing to hide. 

 

Albus pulled out his wand and waved it at me.  I felt a whooshing sensation but that was it.

 

“It’s her,” said Albus.

 

“Is she wearing a wire or anything?” grunted another bloke.

 

“If she was, it wouldn’t work in here,” answered Granger dismissively.  “The wards would cause it to go haywire.”

 

The bloke nodded, satisfied.  Granger looked at me again thoughtfully.  “The question is not if Ms. Hadrian is who she says she is, but rather if we can trust her.”

 

“You can,” I blurted out.  “I want to destroy the Hadrians.  The O Faolains too.”

 

I added that last bit as an afterthought.  Sometimes I forget that mum’s side of the family was fucked up too.

 

It caught Granger’s attention.  “The O Faolains?”

 

I nodded.  “Mum’s family.”

 

“We weren’t aware that they were involved with the syndicate,” said Scorpius. He was leaning over the table, looking intently at me. 

 

His voice was deeper than I remembered.  He had grown up since the last time we had spoken.  

 

“Seriously?” I asked incredulously.  “You didn’t know that?”

 

Granger shook her head.  “The intelligence we have on your family is rather limited, to be completely honest.  We, ah, haven’t had many opportunities to investigate.”

 

Oh, that was right.  When your grandfather and uncle both serve on the Wizengamot, it’s hard to get permission to investigate your family for criminal activity.  There was still a lot of corruption in the wizarding world. 

 

I gave them some more information.  “My mum and her sister are both heavily involved with the syndicate.  Grandfather Naomhan is too.”

 

“And Calliban Womack?” asked James.  Calliban was my Aunt Dierdre’s husband who slightly terrified me.

 

“Most definitely,” I said emphatically.  “He’s the worst of them.” 

 

“What about your Womack cousins?” asked one of the men.  “Are they involved?”

 

I hesitated briefly.  I actually liked the Womack cousins.  But, they were involved with the syndicate and I had other priorities.

 

“They are,” I answered.  “Orlagh is involved with smuggling.  Aquila works on some of the legitimate business fronts.  Aodhan just graduated Hogwarts so he hasn’t taken on any formal responsibilities yet, but he’s being groomed as we speak.”

 

Granger was writing furiously.  Why she didn’t have one of her underlings taking notes for her, I had no idea.  

 

“That is very useful information,” said Scorpius as Granger wrote.  “Even I had no idea.”

 

I shot a glance at him and opened my mouth.  He shook his head slightly and I closed my mouth quick.  I must have looked very dumb, so I opened it up again. “What else do you need to know?”

 

Granger finished writing and looked up from her parchment.  “Why? Why are you doing this? I don’t think we can trust you until we know your intentions.”

 

We had finally reached the point I had not wanted to discuss.  It could tell on my face, I’m sure. Granger was surveying me with her eyebrows furrowed and something I could not read in her eyes.  

 

“Leave us,” she commanded eventually.

 

One of the blokes started to protest.  Granger shot him a frosty look and he immediately shut up.  He was not stupid enough to argue. He stood up and the other unnamed guy followed him out. 

 

Scorpius and Albus stayed at the table.  Same with James. Granger turned to them and said, “Out.”

 

Reluctantly, Scorpius and Albus exited the room, but James refused to move.  Granger began to speak, but I cut her off. “No – it’s fine. Potter should hear this anyways.”

 

She nodded and waved her wand at the door.  “Just making sure we have privacy.”

 

“I appreciate that,” I said truthfully.  “I haven’t told many people what I’m about to say.”

 

Granger inclined her head a bit, but said nothing.  She was waiting for me to speak.

 

I took a deep breath.  “Throughout my time at Hogwarts, I was seeing someone on and off.”

 

She interrupted me.  “What do you mean seeing someone? A therapist?”

 

My ears began to redden.  “No, uh, dating.”

 

“Ah, I see.”  She motioned for me to continue.

 

“Seventh year, we broke up permanently.  We both did some things we regretted and we did not speak again the rest of the year,” I said.

 

“What was the name of this man?” asked Granger.  “I’m assuming that he’s important to the story.”

 

“Addison Driscoll.”

 

Granger frowned, looking down at her notes.  “There was no male student by that name during your time at Hogwarts.”

 

Before I could say anything, Potter cleared his throat.  “Driscoll is a female.”

 

“Ah, I see,” said Granger smoothly, not letting her mistake derail the conversation.  She did turn a bit pink though. “I apologize. It’s 2025, you think I would have finally stopped being so ignorant, but heteronormativity is so ingrained in our culture.  You know, I could have done so much more when I was Minister… It’s a real regret of mine.”

 

She probably would have kept going on, but Potter cleared his throat again.  She jumped slightly and remembered the task at hand. “So, yes, you and Driscoll were not speaking.”

 

I nodded.  “Then, a few months ago, I ran into her again.  We hadn’t spoken since the day after Christmas Break seventh year and we hadn’t seen each other since Hogwarts.”

 

“It must have been surprising,” said Potter, “to see her after all this time.”  

 

“It was,” I said simply, but I did shoot him a suspicious look.  I thought he was enjoying himself and his tangential part in this tale.  He wouldn’t enjoy it much longer though, I thought to myself grimly. 

 

“It was where we ran into each other that really surprised me,” I continued.  “We were both at a, shall we say, family gathering.” 

 

Granger and Potter both nodded and and began leaning forward, very interested in what I was saying.  

 

“Uncle Gayelord introduced her to the family by a different name,” I said. I paused for a moment, both to be dramatic and because I was trying to control my emotions.  “Gayelord said that her name was Delilah Makenna and she would be working with him.”

 

“What does Gayelord do for the family?” asked Granger, as she glanced up from the notes she was still taking.  

 

“I don’t know,” I admitted.  “Nobody does. I’m assuming Father knows and maybe Grandfather Adonijah.  He’s always been rather mysterious.”

 

“Something with the Dark Arts?” pressed Granger.  

 

“It’s possible,” I said slowly, “but Gayelord has never struck me as the Dark Arts type if I’m being completely honest.  Calliban is the Dark Arts one, if you ask me.”

 

“We are asking you,” responded Granger, the ghost of a smile around her lips.  She nodded at me to continue.

 

“There’s more that made it surprising,” I said.  “Addison had never cared for the family business.  She was always pressuring me to stay away from my family and to run away with her after Hogwarts.”

 

“Is that why the two of you broke up?” interjected Granger.

 

Potter coughed slightly and both Granger and I glanced at him.  He meekly muttered, “excuse me” and quieted.

 

“No,” I answered.  “We broke up because we were teenagers and dumb.”

 

“Fair enough,” said Granger.

 

“I didn’t say anything to her at that meeting.  I needed time to think and process my next move before we talked.  Something was clearly afoot and I was going to get to the bottom of it.”

 

“Did you get to the bottom of it?” asked Potter.

 

I looked cooly at him.  “I’m getting to that. Yes.  I did get to the bottom of it.  Kind of.”

 

“Kind of?”

 

“Addison ended up approaching me a few days after the meeting.  Asking if we could meet to discuss finances or some shit. When I said yes, Mum was most pleased because she thought I was finally taking my place in the family.”

 

“Didn’t they recognize her?  From your time at Hogwarts?” questioned Granger.

 

It was a fair question.  It was one I had thought about a lot those first few days.  “I didn’t think so. Not at first. My parents never met any of my Hogwarts friends and I certainly never told them about the girl I was dating.”

 

“Because she was a girl?” 

 

I shook my head.  “Because it wouldn’t have been a good match.  Not blood purity – nobody cares about that shit anymore.  Just not good politics.”

 

James had a different question though.  “What do you mean, ‘not at first?’ What happened when you spoke?”

 

“We met in Hogsmeade.  She told me that she was there undercover, that–”  I was cut off by Granger’s eyebrows going up in shock.

 

“Undercover?” she gasped.  “With who? Not one of my units.  Or Harry’s…”

 

“I have no idea,” I said truthfully.  “She didn’t say and I trusted her. I figured she had a good reason.”

 

“Why did she tell you who she was?” asked Potter. 

 

I stared at my empty water glass, suddenly tired.  “I don’t know. Maybe she was hopeful I had finally listened to her previous warnings.  Or more cynically, she needed to make sure I wouldn’t blow her cover and would have imperiused me to keep my mouth shut.”

 

“You didn’t blow her cover?” challenged Potter.

 

“Of course not,” I said sharply.  “I would never… I lo-” 

 

I stopped talking.  This was not the time.  Potter looked satisfied and nodded for me to continue.

 

I took another deep breath and mentally prepared myself.  “We kept meeting up after that. It was strange. She never asked me for information about the family.  In fact, we never spoke about my family. It was always about Hogwarts, the weather, quidditch, anything but the family.”

 

The next part was hard to say.  Especially to two strangers. “We eventually slept together.”

 

Neither Granger nor Potter looked especially surprised which I guessed was a good thing.  “That’s when things changed.”

 

That got their attention and Granger stopped writing to give me her full attention.  She finally cast a charm for her quill to write by itself.

 

“Something had happened with the syndicate.  No one had seen Gayelord for a few days. He was missing.  My father and mother were arguing a lot. They usually argued, but this was different.  I can’t put my finger on it, but they seemed to be arguing about the future of the syndicate.  About who should be in charge.”

 

I paused to refill my water.  Again, I enjoyed the drama of doing so, but I also needed to gather my thoughts before I continued.

 

“That’s when Addison sent me an urgent owl one night, telling me to come to her flat at once,” I said.  “I left the estate at once, making sure I wasn’t being followed. I knew something was happening.”

 

Granger and Potter looked quite fascinated at this point.  I briefly considered that I should go back to my childhood dream of being an author, before pushing the thought aside and focusing.  

 

“When I got to her flat, she immediately told me that we were in danger and we needed to leave the country,” I said.  “Naturally, I was resistant and pressed her for more details. She refused, saying that it would only put me in more danger and that she would tell me everything when we were safe.  She told me that if I had ever loved her and if I had ever trusted her, I should listen to her.”

 

I took another deep breath and hoped my voice wouldn’t waver as I continued.  “I did, so I told her I would leave with her. I went home to gather a few things and we agreed to meet early the next morning ”

 

My voice didn’t waver and I considered that a victory.  Potter looked slightly uncomfortable so that was a slight bonus at the very least.

 

“We never left,” I said flatly.  “When I came to our rendezvous point the next morning, she was not there.  I knew immediately that something had gone wrong. Addison was never late. It was a pride of hers…” I paused again.  “I waited two hours for her.”

 

“And she never came?” asked Granger gently.  She knew the answer to the question, but I suppose she needed to confirm it.

 

I shook my head.  “I apparated to her flat.  It was empty. It looked like no one had ever lived there.  That’s when I considered that she had left without me. That she had to move up her plans and abandon me.  I could live with that because at least she was safe and I was no longer in danger. I knew that she wouldn’t leave if I was still in danger.” 

 

I could see Potter looking doubtful, but I knew what was coming next, so I ignored him.  “I came home then. I didn’t say anything to anyone, of course, but I could tell something had changed.  Gayelord was back and my parents had stopped arguing. They had made their peace, it appeared.”

 

“Who won the argument?  Who was in control?” questioned Potter. 

 

I hesitated.  “I think my father.  If my mother had won their battle then the entire organization would have been restructured in a heartbeat.  Either that or the syndicate would go down in flames as it tore itself apart.”

 

“But that’s not why you’re here,” said Granger.  It wasn’t a question.

 

“No,” I said slowly.  “I had made my peace that Addison had left without me for her own safety, until I noticed that nobody was concerned about the disappearance of a high ranking member of the syndicate.  During her few months with the syndicate, Addison had made herself indispensable to the family. But, nobody seemed to care. The curiosity got to me so much that I even asked Gayelord what had happened to Delilah.  He said that he had never heard of such a name and that I hadn’t either.”

 

“What the hell does that mean?” asked Granger incredulously.

 

“That was pretty much where my head was,” I answered.

 

“What happened next?”

 

“I overheard Dad and Gayelord talking,” I said.  “I didn’t hear all of the conversation because they disapparated in the middle of the conversation and it was muffled because I hid myself.”

 

“What did they say?”

 

“That they had gotten rid of the mole and that the Babineaux deal was good to go,” I said as casually as I could.  There would be no emotions from me. 

 

Granger gasped.  “You mean?”

 

“That’s what I think.  My family murdered Addison because she was a mole and she was interfering with their plans.”

 

“Do you have any proof?” asked Granger.

 

I shook my head wearily for what seemed like the hundredth time.  “That’s why I’m here.”

 

Both Granger and Potter were silent as they took in everything I had said.

 

“I’m going to work with you and destroy the Hadrian family.”


	4. Shell Cottage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Cressida tells her tale, she waits at Shell Cottage with Albus and Scorpius.

“You know, Hadrian, you don’t seem all that upset about this business.  Your girlfriend being murdered and your family being responsible.”

 

I gave him a cold look. “Emotions aren’t going to avenge her and send my family to Azkaban, Potter.”

 

Potter had the human decency to look somewhat abashed, but at this point I didn’t care.  I was tired and wanted to leave the Ministry now.

 

Granger glared at her asshole of a nephew before turning back to me.  “It’s late and we have everything we need from you.”

 

“Where should I go?”

 

Shaking her head, Granger said, “You’re not going home tonight.  We’ll take you to one of our safe houses.”

 

“A Ministry safe house?” I said doubtfully.

 

She laughed slightly.  “No, one of  _ our’s _ .  This is beyond the Ministry now.”

 

The way she said  _ our’s  _ made me feel safer.  She must have meant one of the safe houses they had used back when the Order of the Phoenix had been around.  My family might have infiltrated every level of the Ministry, but they had never made it into the Order of the Phoenix.  Dumbledore’s Army too, for that matter.

 

Potter stood up.  “Where should I take her?”

 

That was rather presumptuous, if you ask me.  Clearly, Granger agreed because one look from her made him sit back down.  She had been one hell of a Minister and I did not know why she had stepped down.

 

Granger stood up from her own chair and opened the door to the room.  She gestured to the people who were waiting outside and brought them into the room.  The group consisted of Albus, Scorpius, and the two blokes from before. They were joined by someone new.  He was on the taller side and was a dead ringer for both James and Albus.

 

I was very pleased with myself.  I had caused Harry Potter to come into the Ministry for an emergency meeting late at night.  

 

James got to his feet again when he saw his father.  “Dad – what are you doing here?”

 

Harry smiled tightly at his eldest child as he closed the door behind him, before sealing it with a charm. “Your brother sent me a Patronus.”

 

Granger glanced at her less asshole of a nephew.  “I’m glad you did.”

 

Albus shrugged, trying to brush off the praise, but I could tell he was pleased.  

 

Before anyone could do anything else, both Granger and Potter had raised their wands and shot some kind of curse at the two unnamed blokes.  They both collapsed where they were standing.

 

The three younger men started in surprise.  “Dad!”

 

I had been startled too, but I knew how to hide it.  I looked at the two older adults shrewdly. “You don’t trust them, do you?”

 

Granger shook her head as she waved her wand at the two men.  Their bodies were lifted into the air and dropped unceremoniously into chairs.  

 

“This needs to stay in this room,” said Granger.  “There’s very few people we can trust at the Ministry right now.”

 

I nodded in agreeance.  “What about Gordon? The incompetent receptionist.”

 

Granger snorted.  “He’s harmless. Besides, he’s sworn to secrecy.  Any support staff in the MLE swear unbreakable vows.  Higher ranking wizards –” She motioned to the two unconscious men “– are not because they may need to use their discretion at some point.”

 

“So what do we do now?” asked Albus eagerly. 

 

“We take Cressida to a safe house,” answered Granger, “until we decide what to do next.”

 

I had figured as much.  They needed to decide how to use me to destroy the Hadrians.  I just had one question. “How long will that be?”

 

Harry and Granger exchanged glances, before the latter spoke up.  “A couple of days probably.”

 

I nodded.  “Take me to the safe house then.  I’m exhausted.”

 

Turning to Albus and Scorpius, Granger said, “Take her to Shell Cottage.  Don’t leave the house under any circumstance. James will come by tomorrow with some supplies.”  

 

She turned to me.  “I’m sorry this has all happened to you, Cressida.”

 

“Me too,” I said simply.

 

She nodded once and extended her arm to my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.  It was quick and a very small token of friendliness, but I appreciated it nonetheless.  

 

Scorpius and Albus came up to me and each took one of my arms.  The two of them began to spin and there was a familiar, uncomfortable feeling of being forced through a rubber tube. 

 

We arrived in front of a simple looking cottage some 10 meters from a severe looking drop off.  From the moon and starlight, I could see the ocean reaching into the distance. 

 

Albus quickly moved toward the cottage and tapped his wand on the door.  It opened for him and he walked through. Scorpius and I quickly followed him in.  

 

“What is this place?” I questioned as I entered the foyer and looked around.  

 

“The cottage belongs to my Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur.  They moved out when she was pregnant with their third kid, but we keep it as a safe house.  You know, make sure all the wards are still in place from the War and can be used in an emergency,” said Albus. “The Fidelius charm was taken off years ago though.”

 

I didn’t have to ask who “we” was.  I knew my history and the kind of lives the Potters and Weasleys had.  As I saw Scorpius investigate the kitchen, I added him to my mental list too.  The Malfoys hadn’t had an easy time either. Which reminded me…

 

I followed Scorpius into the kitchen where he had opened the fridge and was frowning at its emptiness.  He scowled at me as I entered. “James had better come early tomorrow morning. I’m starving.”

 

His scowl turned into a frown as he saw my expression.  I’m not sure what it was exactly, but probably some mix of exhaustion, confusion, and pain.  He closed the fridge and faced me. “Let’s go into the conservatory. It’s beautiful.”

 

He was right.  I couldn’t help but gasp when we sat down down on a plushy couch that overlooked the sea.  I had been able to make out the ocean and cliffside from the front of the cottage, but the view from the conservatory was breathtaking.  

 

“Have you been here before?” I asked.  He had been so right about the conservatory; he must’ve had some previous knowledge.

 

Interestingly enough, Scorpius blushed in response.  Even though I had a million questions, I couldn’t help but snicker.  I drawled, “Been here with a certain Mr. Potter?”

 

“Scorp, if you’re fucking my dad again, we’re going to have problems,” said Albus as he walked into the conservatory, trying to hold three hot mugs of what smelled like hot chocolate.

 

I beamed up at him as he handed me a mug while Scorpius rolled his eyes dramatically.  “That joke wasn’t even funny the first time. I do not find your dad attractive.”

 

“That’s not what you said to Rosie first year,” responded Al with a smug look.  He sat down in an armchair that faced the couch Scorpius and I were sharing. 

 

“That wasn’t my fault!” argued Scorpius.  “I was a sexually confused 11 year old – you can’t fault me for that.”

 

Albus gave him a loving look that almost made me gag.  “You were such a cute 11 year old.”

 

Scorpius just rolled his eyes again, but there was a hint of a smile on his face too.  “Ignoring my strange boyfriend for a moment –”

 

“I resent that.”

 

“ – I think you have a few questions for me,” he finished.

 

I nodded.  “I don’t even know where to begin.”

 

“I’ll begin then for you,” said Scorpius.  

 

Relieved, I agreed.  “Please.”

 

“I joined the aurors straight out of Hogwarts.  This one –” a vague handwave in the direction of Albus “– and I were in the same cohort,” he said.  “I had the blessing of father too. Not that I needed it, but it was nice to know I had it.”

 

“Draco let you join the aurors?” I asked incredulously.  I had only met them a handful of times and only at social occasions or family events, but what I knew of the Malfoys did not jive with them approving of their son joining the aurors.

 

“Do you remember that business my fourth year?” asked Scorpius.

 

“Vaguely,” I answered slowly, trying to recall what had befallen my cousin that year.  “I remember there was something about a time turner and that you and Albus got into a spot of trouble.”

 

Albus laughed darkly at that.  “That’s putting it lightly.”

 

With a glance at Albus, Scorpius began to explain, “We accidentally created a few alternate realities.  Timelines where Voldemort won the war. Timelines where Albus didn’t exist.”

 

“That’s a lot for two 14 year olds to handle,” I said quietly because I wasn’t quite sure what else to say.  I took a long sip of my hot chocolate. 

 

“We handled it eventually,” said Scorpius evenly.  “It took much longer to mentally recover.”

 

He and Albus made eye contact again and so much was transmitted through that look that I had to turn my eyes away from the two of them.  They had been through a lot together.

 

Scorpius gave himself a little shake.  “Anyways, after that happened and after mum died, father did a lot of soul searching.  I don’t think he’ll be joining the Order of the Phoenix anytime soon, but he’s always welcome at the Potters for Christmas dinner.”

 

I raised an eyebrow.  “That’s actually saying a lot.”

 

“It does,” said Albus softly.  

 

Scorpius continued his story. “After mum died, we pretty much stopped talking to the Greengrass side of the family.”

 

“Until recently,” added Albus.

 

Nodding, Scorpius went on, “The last couple of years, I’ve been kind of undercover trying to infiltrate my side of the Greengrasses to get closer to the syndicate.”

 

“How’s that been working out?” I asked.

 

“Not very well,” admitted Scorpius.  “We’re not sure which Greengrasses are involved with the syndicate, so it’s been a lot of dead ends.  Plus, regardless of my Greengrass background, dating a Potter doesn’t make it easy to trust you.”

 

“It must be fun to spend so much time with the Greengrasses,” I deadpanned. 

 

“I have to take a shower after every time I meet with one of them.”

 

It was my turn to laugh darkly.  “If your Greengrasses are anything like Grandma Scarlett, I don’t blame you.”

 

Albus looked horrified and actually spit out some of his hot chocolate.  I gave him a very weird look. “What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s just that, that, that Scorpius’s Grandma Greengrass is named Jade,” he spluttered.  

 

“Your point?” I asked, very confused.  Scorpius looked like he had an inkling of what Albus’s problem was and was either about to laugh or roll his eyes.  I really had no idea.

 

“It’s so tacky!” Albus was finally able to say.  “They’re both named after colors!”

 

I couldn’t help it.  I laughed. Very loudly.  It was just so ridiculous and innocent that it made me forget why the three of us were together.  

 

It was the first time I felt happy (let’s be honest though – the first time I felt nearly happy) in what seemed like an eternity and I let the emotion wash over me and I basked in it.  

 

I would get through this and I would survive whatever my family threw at me.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya all! Thanks for making it this far. I’m having a blast writing this story. It’s the first fanfiction I’ve written in a long time and I’m having a blast. I certainly hope you’re having a blast too.
> 
> At this point, I should make a note regarding the canonicity of Taking Down The Family. As far as I’m aware, this story is compliant with The Cursed Child. I believe the major details are there (Scorpius and Albus’s background, Astoria’s death/Draco’s change of heart, Hermione being a former Minister for Magic - though for my purposes, I imagine that she stepped aside after her first term, spouting something about the continuity of government or the peaceful transition of power to make a statement about Ministry corruption). Let me know if you spot anything major that I should be aware of!


	5. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James stops by Shell Cottage for breakfast

I woke up late the next morning to the smell of eggs and bacon.  And coffee. Blessed coffee. I pushed the blanket back and got to my feet.  I stretched, lifting my arms up in the air and let out a yawn. 

 

I looked down at what I was wearing – still the jeans and jumper from yesterday.  I shrugged. Potter was bringing supplies later so I could change then. 

 

Downstairs, I could hear muffled voices.  The clock on the bedside table said that it was about 10:30.  Figuring I should make an appearance, I put my hair up in a quick bun and ventured downstairs.

 

We had been joined by James who was sitting at the scrubbed table with Scorpius and Albus.  He looked up when I entered the kitchen and raised an arm in greeting. 

 

“Morning, Potter,” I said and made a beeline for the coffee pot.  I picked up one of the mugs sitting by it and filled it nearly to the brim.

 

“No room for milk or sugar,” observed Albus.  

 

“Well spotted,” I said dryly.  “You could be an auror.”

 

He rolled his eyes and was about to speak, but James spoke up.  “I filled them in on what you told us last night. I thought they should know what was happening.”

 

I nodded.  I had figured as much and I was in no mood to tell the story again.  “That’s fine.”

 

“I’m sorry,” said Scorpius.  “I know how much Addison meant to you.”

 

I gave him a quick smile, but said nothing.  To be completely truthful, I was still processing how I felt about Addison.  Obviously, I was distraught that she was almost definitely dead, but last night before I had gone to bed, I had realized that I had no idea who she was.  I trusted her, but I did not know why. For all I knew, Addison wasn’t even her real name.

 

James was watching me with with a look in his eyes that I couldn’t quite work out.  He was more intelligent than I admitted, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had caught on to how I was feeling.  I suppose it was a rather natural conundrum I was in. 

 

To be safe though, I changed the subject.  “Any word from Granger or your father?”

 

“No.  Looks like we’ll be here for a little bit longer,” said Scorpius cheerfully.  “Home sweet home.”

 

“Did you at least bring us some fresh clothes?” I asked James.

 

To my relief, he nodded and got up.  He went over to the counter and picked up a sack.  He tossed it over to me and I caught it. I opened it up and was surprised to find a nice arrangement of clothes and toiletries.

 

He saw my surprise and grinned.  “Shockingly enough, I do know how to shop for girls.”

 

“I think Lily would beg to differ,” pointed out Albus.

 

James rolled his eyes.  “That was one time.”

 

“For her birthday, you bought her socks,” responded Albus flatly.  “Even Dad knows better than that.”

 

“That’s because Dad can afford to buy his daughter nice presents!” argued James.  “I had just graduated and was trying to pay rent! It was either the socks or a cheap pair of knickers.”

 

At that, Albus wrinkled his nose.  “Please don’t buy our sister knickers.”

 

“Then be glad I bought her socks,” said James exasperatedly.

 

I glanced at Scorpius who was surveying the arguing Potters.  “Do they do this often?”

 

He shrugged.  “They’re usually fine if there in a large group.  It’s when they’re alone or around people they trust.”

 

That made sense.  I noted that this meant that the two Potters trusted me.  If I had been able to convince them to trust me, perhaps Granger and the elder Potter were going to help me destroy the Hadrians.

 

“So, do you have any idea who or what Babineaux is?” I asked Scorpius, changing the subject.  

 

When I asked the question, the Potters stopped arguing.  I had their attention. It was the only lead I really had on Addison’s disappearance and I figured Scorpius would have the best idea.  

 

“A who,” answered Scorpius.  He took a sip of his coffee. “They’re a French crime family.”

 

“I’ve never heard of them,” I said, a bit put out.  I thought I was up to speed on all the important crime families.  

 

“They’re muggles,” said Scorpius. 

 

My eyebrows shot up and I almost spit out the coffee in my mouth.  “Muggles?”

 

James and Albus also looked surprised.  The latter said, “I didn’t know the Hadrians dealt with muggles.”

 

“They don’t,” I said.  I was completely flummoxed.  My thoughts were racing as I tried to figure out what my family would get out of a deal with muggles.

 

“Expanding the family business?” suggested James. 

 

I could only shake my head.  “I highly doubt it. We make enough money as it is… Though…”

 

James looked at me, clearly expecting me to say more.  I shook my head. “I’m not sure. I need to think.”

 

“Trust your gut,” advised Scorpius.  Damn those aurors. 

 

“I wonder if that’s what mother and father were fighting about,” I said slowly.  “They had been arguing about the future of the syndicate.”

 

“Which one of them do you think would want to deal with muggles?” asked James.  

 

I paused for a second to think.  “Probably mother… But it was father who was talking to Gayelord about the success of the Babineaux deal.  He sounded pleased.”

 

My stomach suddenly let out a growl and I admit that I started a bit.  I looked over at the hob where there was a pan with bacon on it. Taking the hint, Scorpius summoned a plate and piled bacon onto it.  He also scooped some scrambled eggs onto the plate. He placed it in front of me and I dug in happily, nodding my thanks.

 

“I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t eaten in a day, but this is the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten,” I said, my mouth completely full.  It was almost a miracle I was able to speak with all the food in my mouth.

 

“Scorp is quite the housewife,” said Albus fondly. 

 

Said housewife rolled his eyes.  “Just because you are unable to make even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich does not make me the housewife in the relationship.”

 

“How do you mess up a PB&J?” I asked curiously as I took a sip of my coffee.  

 

“All the jam just kind of piles into the middle,” said James.  “So the peanut butter is spread out well, but you bite into the middle and the peanut butter to jelly ratio is just completely off.”

 

“It must be very hard to be you,” I said.  

 

Albus smiled at me, apparently glad that someone was taking his side.  James and Scorpius just scowled at me, but I ignored them as I continued to happily eat my eggs and bacon.  They started talking about Quidditch scores, but I quickly lost interest. 

 

When I finished eating, I scourgified my plate and fork, before using a Banishing Charm to send it over to the drying rack.  I kept my coffee mug since I was still nursing it. 

 

They were still talking about Quidditch, so I stood up with my coffee to go to the conservatory.  If I had to be stuck here, I decided that I should treat this time as a vacation. I had an inkling that this would be one of the last times I had to relax for a while.  As I exited the kitchen, I snagged the copy of  _ The Daily Prophet  _ that James must have brought with him.

 

I sat down in the conservatory and opened  _ The Daily Prophet  _ to the social and gossip section.  I lost myself in reading about the goings-on of all the wizarding socialites.  The other three would let me know if anything happened.


End file.
